Well done Katie and Harriet. Pleased to wake up this morning to find they got through. Harriet hasn't played great, but that's she's getting the wins is promising and she's playing in the cooler part of the day.

Diatchenko can be streaky but the second set was down to Katie falling apart. Relieved she got away with starting to do the same in the third.

On Bates, I'm always struck by how positive Annie K is about their time working together given my impression is that he turned her into a jibbering wreck who couldn't close out a set or match if her life depended on it in her final couple of years on the tour. I guess she felt strongly supported and enjoyed the working relationship, but I don't feel he added anything to her game when she was with him. I just find he instils a 'youre close to the line, don't lose it' mentality', rather than a 'keep doing what you've been doing and win it' one. I remember him telling me Gabby Taylor 'just needs to keep getting it in' against Dominguez Lino at Wimbledon qualies, which was basically the worst advice you could have given considering LDL runs like a train and doesn't miss and Taylor had got to a winning position by being aggressive and not allowing LDL to control the rally and run her about on a string. Anyway...

-- Edited by PaulM on Friday 27th of August 2021 09:28:46 AM

Anne K is now on the Board of the LTA, no? And has been for a while. And various other official posts ....

I think she has a vested interest in toeing the party line.

Yes, I've heard him tell Katie B, 'no faults, no faults'. Which, as you say, just sinks the player who is being the more entrepreneurial and playing the duracell bunny style player.

I honestly think he gets really stressed. He looks SO uncomfortable and the errors just give him stomach acid attacks. Well, that's one theory....

Coup Droit wrote:

---

I honestly believe he far prefers being a player than a coach.

Which isn't a criticism. Just don't be a coach.

About 5 years ago, I was next to him (happy days!) for a couple of hours, watching Katie Boutler - I've never seen such a dour, miserable, face and demeanour - and everything he said (to her, to her mum, to anyone) was like a load of wet fish. She lost.

THEN it started to rain and we were all in the clubhouse - and a couple of older top players were around and they were chatting (they might all have been still playing the veteran circuit) - and, my god, he was animated, he was happy, talking about matches, and joking with mates, etc. etc.

The man's a good veteran (now) tennis player, not a coach of youngsters.

---

 If Bates is actually holding back Katie's progression then it is surely up to Katie herself to dispense with him and move on, whatever her mother's views about rhe man. So if that's not a good fit, take action Katie! Time is moving on ( Katie is no youngster ). And new eyes, a fresh start, can be beneficial even when things are not particularly broke. 

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 27th of August 2021 10:04:26 AM

Coup Droit wrote:

---

Well, I guess not everyone has the same view

And it's probably not completely black and white - he's almost certainly helped in certain ways (but every coach does, surely.....)

However, yes, Katie's an adult now and has to 'own' her tennis career.

And, yes, she should be aiming at top 50/ top 30 (minimum) and I don't see Jeremy getting her there, or not in style.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 27th of August 2021 10:03:06 AM

---

 Who would suit Katie's game more? Would Nigel Sears take her on?

GAMEOVER wrote:

---

Injuries have held Katie back which is something  no coach  could do anything about.

---

 Thats not necessarily true. 

The match before Emma's has just finished so she should be on before too long.